Coming back from a 3-1 deficit is one of the rare feats in NBA history that has often been seen as a tough challenge, and it cannot be denied that not all teams have managed to beat the odds, especially when your season is on the line and backs are against the wall. That is the case for the Los Angeles Lakers today, who have just lost Game 4 and are now one loss away from being eliminated.

After being up 94-84 by the end of the third quarter, the Lakers tried to hold on to their lead for the whole fourth quarter. The surging Minnesota Timberwolves offense couldn’t be denied, and they would later take a 108-107 lead with 3:21 left to play after Naz Reid drilled a three coming off an assist from Julius Randle.

The Lakers and the Wolves would then exchange buckets all the way to the finish, with Austin Reaves missing out on a three at the last second. Had it gone in, it would have been tied at the buzzer and would have given the Lakers a chance to fix their mistakes in overtime. Instead, the Lakers will return home down 1-3 and on the brink of elimination.

The Anthony Edwards Explosion

Anthony Edwards averaged 19.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in the regular season against the Lakers. In four games, he’s scored 22 points, 25 points, 29 points, and in this win – a whopping total of 43 points. While it is a surprise, it is the first time that he actually led the Wolves in scoring, and it came when it mattered most.

Julius Randle scored 25 points, 7 assists, and 3 assists against his former team, while Jaden McDaniels proved that he is still a standout player after dropping 16 points and 11 rebounds – including a key three-point play late in the game which allowed Minnesota to stay on the lead heading into the final seconds of the game.

The Lakers were led by Luka Doncic’s 38 points, and LeBron James finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. Rui Hachimura answered the call this time as he scored 23 points while Austin Reaves chipped in 17 points and 7 rebounds, but could not drill the game-tying three that could have sent the game to overtime.

James and Doncic played 46 minutes each – the most by a duo in a game not heading to overtime. Not that it mattered at the end of the game as the Lakers went on to lose by three.

The 3-1 Dilemma

For the first time, there are now a total of five playoff series in the first round in which a team has a commanding 3-1 lead. It is worth noting that there have been six times in which a trailing team tried to pull off a comeback from a 3-1 deficit. Out of those tries, only three have been successful in beating the odds and win – advancing to the conference semifinals after that.

In the case of the Lakers, this may well be an insurmountable scenario. Game 5 will be at their home, which should add to their advantage at least, but it would be hard to close out on the road against the Wolves in a potential Game 6. Should they win two straight, the momentum would be on their side and will likely be able to win in seven.

Let’s not forget, the Lakers have LeBron James, who led the only team out of 33 squads to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals, which says a lot about their chances of pulling off the impossible.